 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm booking a ski trip with a friend who lives in Montreal, weekend of 2/28. Because of our schedules it's either that or late April...
I've skied in Mammoth, Big Bear, Mt. Hood and the French Alps - but never in the Northeast. So my plan was for a European style ski vacation, staying around Killington, VT and getting away from civilization for 4 days. But my friend stressed that I should only expect 3 out of 4 days to be skiable, simply because the weather in the NE is more inconsistent, with ice or -10°F + windchill temperatures all too often. He suggests a day in Termblant, come back to Montreal, and based on the weather go to Killington or push it a day.
Basically, we have 5 full days (Fri-Tue) and a car - and almost any resort in Quebec or Vermont is game. What would be your attack plan? We're intermediate skiers and want to have a good time, it's not some race to kick every foot of powder in the NE. Obviously not every day on the slopes brings top-notch conditions, but I've never had to chop apart a ski trip or skip a day because conditions were that bad.
Unless you tell me that it's all so godawful I should stay at home, ditch my friend, and go to Mammoth again instead 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Saw your other post as well.
I grew up skiing southern VT and still get over there every year even though I'm in the UK now, and I don't agree with your friend - I think you should plan on skiing every day. By early March, it shouldn't be bitterly cold. If it is, dress warm, ride a gondola or more sheltered lower mountain lifts, get into some intermediate glades or bumps to get the blood flowing, and stop for a hot chocolate once in a while and you'll still have a fun day. The only time you might want to skip a day is if it rains and then freezes. It happens but more the exception than the rule.
Obviously the more north you go the colder it is, but aside from that the weather is fairly consistent at all the resorts. A lot of storms can be mixed precip or rain down south and snow further north, so keep an eye on the weather.
I've never been to Tremblant but it's definitely worth a day or two. Jay Peak is a good mountain, but it can be really windy, so not the best on a cold day. I wouldn't bother with Killington. It might be the biggest, but I would easily go to Stowe or Sugarbush instead, especially since they're closer for you. Stowe could be a good base for a few days generally.
There's also some smaller resorts that are definitely worth a day, particularly on Sat and Sun when the big mountains are mobbed. Burke and Bolton Valley could be quieter options on the weekend. Even Jay Peak will be less busy than Stowe or Sugarbush. However, aside from Sat and Sun, you'll have every resort to yourselves. Hope this helps!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Stay north if possible. Tremblant is the most "european" feel IMHO, granted it's all recently made, but there is a village, with shops, restaurants, etc. most walking distance. Tremblant is also a pretty big mountain, so vertical is decent by eastern standards. Having said that, it's COLD, and my understanding is the cold blocks storms, so snow might not be as deep. If I were you, forget the euro village feel and go for the new England feel. B&bs, pancakes with maple syrup and hearty american meals. Stowe, jay peak, sugarbush, mad river all about 45 minutes from each other. I would just drive from one to the other, maybe have 2 home bases. One around Stowe, maybe another around jay.
Personally, if I had a choice I wouldn't mess with killington or south. Also, these mountains are not like the resorts you mentioned. Very different, but still fun terrain.
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